Convertible chair, ironing board, and stepladder



Dec. 12, 1950 c. R. SCARBOROUGH CONVERTIBLE CHAIR, IRONING BOARD, AND STEPLADDER Filed Feb. 1, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 c- T950 7 cQR. SCARBOROUGH 2,533,515

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR, IRONING BOARD, AND STEPLADDER Filed Feb. 1, 1946 2 Sheets-sheet 2 I I Z5 re a for 6%4/0495 B Aycarfioroyfi latented Dec. 12, 1950 CONVERTIBLE CHAIR, IRONING BOARD, AND STEPLADDER Charles R. Scarborough, Knoxville, Tenn.

Application February 1, 1946, Serial No. 644,851

1 Claim.

of furniture to be used selectively as a high chair, v10

a step ladder or an ironing board.

Other objects of my invention may appear in the following specification describing my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof. It is however to be understood that my invention is not to be limited or restricted to the exact construction and combination of parts described in the specification and shown in the drawing, but

that such changes and modifications can be made,

which fall within the scope of the claim appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the three-in-one piece of furniture forming the subject matter of my invention arranged to be used as an ironing board.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Figure 1 shown in a larger scale.

Figure 4 is a front view of my three-in-one piece of furniture arranged to be used as a high chair.

Figure 5 is a top view of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side view of the three-in-one piece of furniture arranged for use as a step ladder.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of a unit consisting of the body of the ironing board and the arms of the high chair adapted to be formed by my three-in-one piece of furniture, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a locking unit used to secure the body of the ironing board in horizontal position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail the three-in-one piece of furniture forming the subject matter of my invention has a pair of front legs 10 and a pair of rear legs ll. One front leg and one rear leg is attached to each of two side boards I2, so that they slant forwardly and rearwardly in relation to each other. Approximately in the center of the side boards l2 a top board l3 extends across the side boards and these boards are firmly and securely fastened to the top board in any desired conventional manner.

The side boards I2 are formed so that the legs H] and H slant outwardly as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5.

Between the two front legs a plurality of horizontally extending boards are arranged in regular intervals to each other and securely fastened to the front legs, thereby forming steps M.

A support board 15 is hingedly fastened to the rear edge of the top board it as clearly shown at i 6. On the rear edge of the support board I5 an ironing board I! is securely fastened in any preferred manner. The ironing board shaped in the conventional form having a tapering portion and a substantially rectangular portion. The ironing board is fastened to the support board is approximately at the point where the two portions join and so, that the tapering portion will point downwardly, when the support board i5 is pivoted to extend horizontally as shown in Figure 6. The rectangular portion will then extend upwardly from the horizontally located board l5 forming a back H} of a high chair formed by the legs IE) and l I, and a seat composed of the top board it, the support board [5 and a step board l9 hingedly attached to the front edge of the top board it as shown at 2B. A pair of side arms 2! are fastened on the rectangular portion of the ironing board ll, one on each side edge thereof so that the arms extend forwardly when the ironing board is in the position shown in Figures 4 and 6, and downwardly when the ironing board is arranged in ironing position.

To convert the high chair described above into a step ladder, the step board I9 is pivoted so as to rest on the top board l3 as shown in Figure 6. This prevents marring of the top surface of the step board, which is being used as a part of the seat of the high chair. In addition, the side arms 2! can be used as guides and hand rails when the three-in-one piece of furniture is used as a step ladder.

To use the three-in-one piece of furniture as an ironing board the board I! is pivoted upwardly on the hinge it so that the support board l5 stands substantially vertical and the ironing board I! is arranged in horizontal position.

To secure the ironing board in this position a stiffening rib 22 is firmly fastened underneath the ironing board I! and extends lengthwise in the center thereof from the support board I5 to its rearward end. This rib is provided in its upper edge with a longitudinally extending cut-out forming with the underside of the ironing board I! a guideway 23.

A stirrup brace 24 is pivotally supported by the side boards l2 adjacent their rearward ends. The center portion of the stirrup brace is slidably arranged in the guideway 23.

A latch member 25 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section. It has a bottom element 25 from which two side elements 21 extend upwardly at right angles. Coaxial holes 28 are provided in the upper rear corner of said elements and a pin 29 extending through the stiffening 22 and the holes 28 attaches the latch member pivotally to the rib, said rib being arranged between the side elements. The rear corners of the side elements extend upwardly to the iower edge of the guideway 23 while the forward earners abut the underside of the ironing board To urge the latch member into the described position a spiral spring 36 is located between "the rib 22 and the rearward end of the bottom element 26, which extends rearwardly beyond the side erements 2? and is bent downwardly to form a finger piece 3-! to operate the latch member 25.

This member and the stirrup brace are so ar ranged that when the ironing board is pivoted into horizontal position the center portion of the brace 24 will slide into the fore end of the guideway 23 and the frontedges of the side elements of "theiatch member 2 5 will prevent it from sliding out of this place, so that the stirrup brace will holdthe ironing board 1''! securely in horizontal position. I

By pressing the finger piece 3| upwardly the rear corners of the side elements release the stirrup brace so that the ironing board can be pivoted downwardly into the position shown in Figures 4 and 6.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'A convertible furniture item adapted to provide an ironing board, a high chair or a ste -ladder, said item comprising a pair of side boards, a top board secured at its ends to the top edges of said side boards securing said side boards in predetermined, spaced-apart relationship, four mutually diverging legs secured at their upper ends, two to each of said side boards, ladder steps secured between one pair of legs, a support board hinged along one edge to said to board, an ironing board secured intermediate its length to the cpp'osit edge fof said support board, a stiffening rib secured to the under side of said ironing board at one side of said support board and having a cut-away portion providing a guideway adjacentjsa id ironing board, a stirrup brace pivotal- 1y scii red at its ends to said side boards and having its intermediate portion slidable in said runaway, and "a latch member pivotally secured to said 's'tifiening rib and spring urged in a direction to constrain the intermediate portion of said brace to one end of said guideway to support said ironing board in general-1 y horizontal position and being manually movable "to release the intermediate portion of said brace to permit tilting said ironing board to a generally vertical position wherein the upper part thereof constitutes a chair back, the seat of which comprises said support board and top board. I v

'CI-IARLES R. SCARBOROUGH.

REFERENCES ori'it'n The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,269,008 seuaj June 11, 191a 1,932,111 King Nov. 27, 1934 1,984,506 Walters Dec. '18. 1934 3,024,9 0 Allerding. Dec. '17. 1935 2,380,812 Webb July 31,1945 

